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Javier
sage
Reged: 05/03/09
Posts: 432
Loc: New Jersey
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I'm considering purchasing a ETX 80 for my daughter. She's showing a real interesting in observing with me but my 8" lightbridge is just too much for her. She's three and a half going on four and she's also a bit tall for her age. I have tow questions about the ETX 80's. Are there any mechanical, optical or differences between the Meade ETX-80BB edition and the ETX-80AT-TC? Also, how tall is the ETX 80 when mounted on the tripod but without having the legs extended?
Thanks,
Javier
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Treehopper
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/29/08
Posts: 582
Loc: Upstate NY
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Hi and welcome Javier. 
1) The only difference between the AT and BB versions are that the latter is a "backpack edition." It comes shipped with a small hiking-style backpack and a somewhat lighter tripod than what is offered with the AT version. I've found it an adequate platform for the scope, although I haven't tried hanging any extra gear (cameras, for instance) off it yet. It seems plenty stable to me. Optically and mechanically, the scope and AutoStar Goto mounts are identical in both cases.
2) The supplied tripod with the "BB" version is somewhere in the 18-20 inch tall range with the legs left unextended. With the scope mounted and level, I'd estimate the eyepiece in the diagonal to be somewhere in the 24-26 inch ballpark.
The scope comes with two decent quality EP's: a 26mm and a 9.7mm, both Meade 4000 Series Super Plossls. There's no finder device on the this scope, but considering it's mostly used at low power, you don't miss it much (I've toyed with the idea of putting a cheap red-dot finder on it, but I don't think it will be necessary.)
Setting up the scope and getting it aligned will likely be a job for Dad, and she'll probably need some initial supervision when using the AutoStar. The views appear to be bright, wide and pretty crisp even with the supplied EP's. I'm not a huge fan on the built-in 2x Barlow that you can flip up and down, mainly because it's far from parfocal and requires a lot of refocusing. You might be better off with a separate Barlow tube.
I'm far from a beginner and I love mine! I'm sure this will be an instrument your daughter would love and use for many, many years to come. Good luck and keep us posted!
Clear skies!
Tim
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Tim
Champion of small aperture scopes everywhere!
Meade ETX-125PE
Meade ETX-80
Celestron FirstScope 76mm Mini-dob
 Updated: 09/16/2009
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caheaton
super member
Reged: 05/26/09
Posts: 155
Loc: SW Ohio
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Just to add a bit to Tim's reply. I have the standard (not backpack edition). I'm not sure exactly how tall the tripod is, but I'm 5'3" and if I leave the tripod legs unextended, I can observe through the telescope if I kneel on my knees. I agree that she will need your help to set it up and maybe to use the goto to slew to specific objects. If you get the standard version, you will need a dew shield as it isn't standard on that model (it is for the backpack version). I bought a flexible one from Astrozap that works quite well.
Good luck and if you have any questions, we're here. I bought an ETX-80 in June and have enjoyed it very much.
Craig
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rmollise
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/06/07
Posts: 4557
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Quote:
I'm considering purchasing a ETX 80 for my daughter. She's showing a real interesting in observing with me but my 8" lightbridge is just too much for her. She's three and a half going on four and she's also a bit tall for her age. I have tow questions about the ETX 80's. Are there any mechanical, optical or differences between the Meade ETX-80BB edition and the ETX-80AT-TC? Also, how tall is the ETX 80 when mounted on the tripod but without having the legs extended?
Thanks,
Javier
Frankly, I'd be cautious in buying ANY telescope for a four year old. Best bet is letting her look through your scopes. If you want one more suited to letting her look through, that scope, in my opinion, is the StarBlast, not an ETX 80. The StarBlast is less fussy, and will do a much better job on Moon and planets.
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Uncle Rod
Rod's New Book:
Choosing and Using a New CAT
Available now!
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Treehopper
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/29/08
Posts: 582
Loc: Upstate NY
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I guess I kind of presumed that although it would be for his daughter, the Dad would be the primary "driver" as it were. I know kids are very precocious these days and show aptitudes far beyond their years at times. But it would be a rare 3.5 year old who could slew a scope to a desired object. I would side with Rod insofar as I wouldn't consider this instrument a toy or a "disposable" item. It's a serious little scope, and will require diligent supervision: I wouldn't want to see little fingers pinched in a yoke or thumbprints appear on the objective, for instance.
Have you considered one of the Galileoscopes, by chance? For $15, you get a pretty decent little 50mm refractor, based loosely on the one that Galileo used 400 years ago. I'm actually hearing great reports from folks who are surprised at the quality for the price. It's a fairly durable plastic tube, and I think can be mounted on a standard photo-style tripod. This may be a more feasible solution for a child her age.
There are any number of threads on this scope located in the Cornerstone Projects Forum in the International Year of Astronomy section.
Here is a link to the Galileoscope Home Page for more info.
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Tim
Champion of small aperture scopes everywhere!
Meade ETX-125PE
Meade ETX-80
Celestron FirstScope 76mm Mini-dob
Updated: 09/16/2009
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Javier
sage
Reged: 05/03/09
Posts: 432
Loc: New Jersey
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Thanks guys, I'm going to wait until the mosquitoes stop biting before I make any decisions. Yes, you guys are right, I'll probably be driving while she observes.
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